Her Protector, His Savior
by ELY20
Summary: Rhiannon Owens is a tattoo artist trying her best to raise her brother's son away from a life of drugs and violence. Happy Lowman is an outlaw biker content with a life of uncomplicated solitude. When the two meet, they both realize that their plans for their own lives don't mean a thing when chance and fate are involved.
1. Chapter 1

The tattoo shop was a dead zone. At ten o'clock on a Thursday night, most of the population of Charming was already tucked safely into their beds, dreaming the night away. Rhiannon Owens had her last customer nearly two hours ago. Still, she was supposed to stay open for another hour. The owner, Ace, who was away on vacation, insisted that there was always one or two stragglers who would come in right before closing time. For the two months that she'd been working there, she'd never seen anyone come in after eight. She would do as her boss instructed, though, and keep the shop open, no matter how tired or bored she was.

She looked up from the paperwork she'd been working on for the past hour and rubbed her bleary eyes. She needed a break.

"Norman!" She shouted, calling for her eight year-old nephew. She'd left him in the break room with an old XBOX and a stack of games. She figured she could recruit him to help sweep up the place.

There was silence throughout the tattoo shop. Sighing, Rhiannon got up to go find him. She had a feeling she would find him passed out on the linoleum. It was way past his bedtime.

As she entered the break room, she felt her heart skip a beat and a chill run down her spine. The room was empty; there was no sign of Norman anywhere. The video game had been paused.

She left the room and ran down the hallway. She checked both restrooms, calling out his name, but found no sign of him. The last place to check was the supply closet, located at the end of the hall, right before the back entrance.

She didn't make it inside the supply closet, though. A single sliver of light caught her eye, turning her attention to the back entrance. The door was open. She was sure that it had been closed and locked earlier. Panic began to set in. Right as she was about to head outside, the bell above the front door chimed.

"Norman, thank God," She breathed, running back to the front of the shop.

"Don't you ever leave like that again! You scared the shit out of me!" She yelled as she rounded the corner. She stopped dead in her tracks. It wasn't Norman that entered the tattoo shop. It was a man, a biker by the look of the black leather cut he wore.

"What?" He asked, staring at her like she had two heads.

"Oh my God…I thought you were…did you see a little boy out there?" She gasped out. Her chest was hurting, and it was becoming difficult to breathe. She rubbed her chest with the heel of her palm.

"No, I didn't. Are you okay?" He asked, coming around the corner, concern crossing his face.

"I have to find him…" She trailed off, turning around and running for the back door. She heard heavy footfalls behind her. He must have decided to follow her, but she couldn't think about that right now. She had to find Norman.

* * *

><p>Happy Lowman had been a regular client of Ace's for years, ever since he was a young punk prospecting for the Sons of Anarchy. Ace was a good man, did clean work, and never questioned him about the smiley faces he always got the older man to add to his stomach.<p>

That's exactly what he'd come here for tonight, to get two new smiley faces added on. Earlier that day, he'd killed two amateur drug dealers who were trying to make a name for their business in Charming.

He'd been expecting to find Ace ready to greet him in his usual way when he entered the shop. He hadn't expected to find the woman that was in front of him now, seemingly having a panic attack.

She was unlike any woman he'd ever seen hanging around in Charming before. She had a massive mane of dreadlocks hanging down nearly to her breasts. They were brown in color with brightly colored yarn and small charms woven around them. She wore a long, flowing purple dress and had a dozen or so beaded necklaces hanging around her neck. Under normal circumstances, he was sure she was beautiful.

But right now, she looked sick and terrified. Her eyes were wide and panicky, her skin looked pale and clammy. She rubbed her chest as if she were in pain.

She'd caught him off guard, coming around the corner yelling. Now he was on high alert. She was clearly terrified.

"Did you see a little boy out there?" She asked him. He hadn't noticed anyone around when he pulled around. The place was empty.

"No, I didn't. Are you okay?" Happy moved around the corner, trying to get closer in case she fainted or something. She kept getting paler…

She backed away, muttering something about having to find him, and then she was gone, running back the way she'd come.

_ What the hell? _He thought to himself as he followed behind her, his footfalls heavy and deafening in the silence. _Was her kid missing or something? _

He followed her outside to the back of the shop, his cell phone in hand. He figured she was too shaken up to call the police, so he did it for her. He kept the conversation between himself and the 911 operator brief, simply stating that a child had gone missing at Ace's.

"Norman! Norman!" She yelled, turning around in circles, her eyes taking in every inch of the back lot. There was a small employee parking lot behind the shop, but eventually the concrete gave way to dirt and grass that seemed to spread for miles behind the building. The unkempt grass was nearly as tall as Happy.

"Here, take this. He could be hiding in the grass. I called the police."

The woman accepted the flashlight and began searching, still calling the boy's name. Happy looked too, keeping his hand close to his gun in case he needed it.

They heard a sound like someone stalking through the thick grass. The woman seemed to be paralyzed with fear and uncertainty, holding the flashlight with a shaky hand towards the sound. Happy pulled his gun, ready to use it if he needed to.

* * *

><p>Rhiannon waited breathlessly, praying that the person stomping through the brush was her Norman. Sure enough, a second later, Norman came rushing out of the field, breathing heavily.<p>

Without thinking, Rhiannon pounced on him, knocking them both to the ground. She showered him with kisses and hugs, standing him up to make sure he had no wounds.

"Norman, thank God! What the hell happened? I went to find you and you weren't in the break room! Don't you ever go anywhere without telling me first! What were you thinking?" She realized that she was yelling at him, but she couldn't help herself. He'd scared the shit out of her.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Rhi Rhi. The man that told me to come outside said it was okay, that you knew him."

Rhiannon's eyes went wide. "What? What man, Norman? Don't you know never to go with a stranger anywhere?"

"He said he was family. He gave me some candy," Norman reached in his pocket and pulled out a Sugar Daddy, holding it up for Rhiannon to inspect.

* * *

><p>Happy watched from a distance as the woman went pale again at the sight of the candy in her nephew's hand. He had a feeling that the candy held some sort of significance for her that neither he nor Norman could understand.<p>

The sound of sirens brought them all back to reality, and the woman grabbed the boy by the hand, leading him towards the front of the store. Happy followed behind them, scanning the darkness, waiting for someone to jump out at them.

By the time they made it around front, Ace's was lit up like a Christmas tree. There were police cruisers everywhere. Happy sighed. He was going to be here for awhile. There was no way they were letting him leave.

He watched as Eli Roosevelt stepped out of his squad car and walked towards him, surveying the scene, a grim look on his face.

"You the one that called this in?" Roosevelt asked.

"Yeah. Came in to get work done, found her all shaken up, looking for the boy. Called it in, then we found him out back. Says some guy lured him out there, gave him candy, said he was family."

Roosevelt just nodded. "You were just coming to get work done, huh? Anybody else around at the time?"

Happy could feel his jaw lock up in anger. Roosevelt made it sound like Happy had something to do with the boy's brief disappearance.

"No. Just me. I didn't see anyone else or notice anything unusual."

"No, I bet you didn't. Awful convenient that the boy was found so quickly."

Happy rolled his eyes, "Some might call that lucky, officer."

"Why don't you go ahead and turn around, hands behind your back? We both know you aren't innocent in all this."

Happy's eyes narrowed, "Are you serious? I called it in. I was helping her."

"Yeah, yeah, save it for the court. C'mon, Lowman, on your knees, hands behind your head."

By now, several other officers had surrounded them. Happy huffed but did as he was told. He knew he was straight, they wouldn't find anything on him. Well, nothing besides his gun anyway. He decided it was best to just comply and roll with it.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Happy looked up to see the woman rushing over to him, dragging the kid behind her. Now that she was over being scared out of her mind, she looked mad as hell.

Roosevelt approached her, "Ma'am, we're taking him in as a suspect. He's a notorious criminal."

"I don't care what he is!" She shouted, her face growing red. Her dreadlocks swung wildly as she shook her head.

"He helped me find my nephew. He called you guys to come down when I couldn't think straight. Let him go right now. You have no proof of anything."

Roosevelt stared long and hard at the woman. Happy smirked. She was a little spitfire, something Roosevelt probably didn't feel like dealing with.

"Alright, fine. Get up, Lowman. This is your one warning. Get out of here."

Soon, the police officers were swarmed around the woman whose name he didn't even know, checking on the kid and asking questions. Happy felt like he needed to tell her thank you because without her, he probably would have been spending the night in jail. He thought better of it, though, not wanting to hang around any longer. He got on his bike and rode out into the night, certain that this wasn't the last time he'd see her.

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Reviews, questions, and any corrections are always appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed this story! I hope this chapter is just as good as the first! Also, I was too lazy to proofread, so if there are any errors, then I do apologize. Enjoy!**

Rhiannon was still shaken up over what happened last night. She'd been so rattled and on edge the night before, that she'd insisted Norman join her for an impromptu slumber party in her room, complete with junk food and late night movie watching, on a school night. She'd barely gotten any sleep, instead staying up to watch over Norman, who seemed completely unfazed by the ordeal.

He'd even insisted on going to school this morning, even when she told him that he could have stayed home with her all day. She was supposed to open the shop, but there was no way. She'd called Ace, and he'd understood, saying she could take as much time as she needed.

At the moment, she was cleaning the entire house, trying to take her mind off the fact that Norman was so far away from her, at school, where she couldn't make sure he was okay. She'd picked up in the living room, and now she was doing the dishes.

The soft, harmonious voices of an old band from the sixties floated through the room, calming her. The smell of the patchouli incense burning in the living room was strong, filling her senses. Dark curtains kept the light out, giving the house a cozy feel. She loved keeping the house like this, her own personal hippie den.

She sang along to the music, her body swaying as she scrubbed and rinsed. She had just picked up a ceramic plate to rinse off when a loud knock came at the door, causing her to jump and drop the plate. A small piece of its edge broke off into the sink.

"Shit," She muttered, rushing to the door.

* * *

><p>Happy wasn't sure why he decided to pay the tattoo artist a visit. He told himself it was just to say thanks for keeping his ass out of jail, but he knew it was more than that. He wanted to make sure that her and the kid were okay. He wanted answers to the questions burning in the back of his brain.<p>

After church this morning, he'd called Ace himself and gotten her name and address. With no club duties, he was free to do whatever he wanted.

She answered after the second knock. He took a moment to drink her in as she stood before him, a look of worry and curiosity on her face. Her dreadlocks were pulled up into some kind of messy knot on the top of her head, with thin tendrils hanging down randomly. She wore a lacy white tank top that was wet around her mid-section and some knitted shorts that revealed long, pale legs. Her feet were bare except for the toe rings that she wore and the purple polish on her toes.

"What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?" She asked, immediately on the defensive. He'd been prepared for that.

"I called Ace, got your name and address. I wanted to come by and say thanks."

She eyed him suspiciously. "I'm gonna have to have a talk with that old man about giving out my information."

"Look, I'll leave. I just wanted to say thanks for helping me out last night. You could have just let them haul me off."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It was the least I could do. You helped me out too. Plus, you didn't deserve to be hauled off. Damn cops think they can arrest someone for any damn reason they want."

Happy smirked. "Yeah, you're right about that."

Rhiannon smiled at him, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He could tell she was still shaken by it.

"So, how's the kid?" He asked.

She shook her head again. "Oh, he's fine. Not an emotional wreck at all. He even insisted on going to school today after I told him he could stay home. Psycho child."

Happy laughed, a rare occurrence for him. "Yeah, sounds like a psycho to me."

They were both silent for a minute. Happy knew this was his out to leave, but he didn't want to go. He still had questions.

"So, what happened last night? Who led him out there?"

She gasped, completely taken off guard. She looked around nervously, looking past him out to the street as if someone might overhear them.

"Look, come inside. I don't want to talk about it out in the open."

Happy eyed her suspiciously but stepped inside anyway. He wanted to hear what she had to say.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. Whatever it was, it was God-awful. Musky and sweet at the same time and all-consuming. He was practically choking on it. The second thing he noticed was how dark it was. Every window was covered with thick curtains intended to block out the light. There was a single lamp in the living room; the rest of the light came from all the candles she had set up in various locations. The place was fire hazard.

"Sorry, excuse the house. I wasn't expecting visitors."

"What kind of hippie hell-hole is this?" He asked, crinkling up his nose at the smells. It occurred to him that he'd smelled worse, though, being at the clubhouse.

She cut him a glare as she walked through the living room towards the tiny kitchen.

"Yeah, insult my home. That's gonna make me wanna open up to you and tell you all my business."

Happy chuckled darkly. Damn, she was quick.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Just not what I'm used to."

"Yeah? And what exactly are you used to, Mr. Biker Man?"

He watched her from behind as she took to the task of washing dishes.

"A clubhouse that smells like weed and pussy."

She threw her head back and laughed. He decided he liked the sound.

"Well, then my house should be a treat for you."

"Yeah, I guess so. So, tell me about last night."

She was silent as she dried the last of the dishes. When she finished, she motioned for him to sit at the small square kitchen table that was shoved against one wall. They sat across from each other.

"You want anything? I got water, coffee, tequila. Don't have much in the way of food at the moment. Think I have some popcorn and cereal."

"Nah, I'm good."

He pulled out his pack of cigars from his jeans pocket. "You mind?"

"Only if you don't give me."

He offered the pack to her, letting her pick out a cigar and lighting it for her. They were both silent for several long seconds as they took their first drags.

Rhiannon took in a deep breath before she spoke.

"As I'm sure you already know, Norman's my nephew."

Happy nodded.

"I got custody of him after my brother, his father, got thrown in jail. His mom's a junkie whore, she's been in jail longer than my brother has. Anyway, my brother was never happy about having to hand over custody of his son to me. I got a call a couple weeks ago informing me that he was out of prison. Honestly, I didn't think much of it. I mean, it's been eight years. I figured he would be back on the streets back home. I didn't even tell him we moved."

Happy shook his head. He knew better than anyone how easy it was to find people, even if they'd moved hundreds of miles away.

"The Sugar Daddy tipped me off last night. It was always my brother's favorite candy, not to mention it has the word "daddy" in its title. It had to be him that lured Norman out there last night, but I don't know how it's possible."

"What did the cops say?"

"They suggested I get a restraining order against him. Said they would try to find his whereabouts. So far, I haven't heard shit about it."

Happy nodded. "What are you going to do about it?"

He watched her as she sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes.

"Hell if I know. I'm hoping the police can locate him, maybe bring him in. I don't think Nash would be crazy enough to hurt me or his own son. He's just being a weirdo."

Happy studied the woman before him. She was lying out of her ass, and they both knew it. She was terrified.

Happy's phone started ringing then, causing Rhiannon to jump. He checked the caller ID. Jax. He needed to go.

"I've got to go," He stated. Rhiannon nodded and headed towards the front door.

"Yeah, I need to get going too. See what I can do about this restraining order thing."

Happy stood in her doorway, weighing his options.

"You want a ride?" He asked her, surprising both of them. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You sure? I thought you were in a hurry."

"It's on my way."

She grinned. "Thanks. Give me two seconds to change."

As she took off towards a darkened hallway, Happy shook his head. His club needed him, so what was he doing here wasting time with a woman he barely knew, offering to give her a ride somewhere? What the hell had he gotten himself into?

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Reviews would be appreciated! **


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